Jewish Holidays

The Western Wall looks simply like a big and menacing block of rocks. One must look with penetrating eyes to sense what it really expresses: the longing of dozens of generations, the prayers of our forefathers and foremothers, and the joy of all those who commemorated their happy occasions there over the course of centuries.

This Shabbat, we find ourselves between two staggering events: the tragedy at Har Meron last Friday, and Yom Yerushalayim this Sunday night and Monday. Two mountains, steeped in Jewish history, associated with the most significant personalities and pathos: Avraham, Yitzchak and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

Every year, more and more myriads of people stream to the gravesite of the author of the Kabbalah, Rav Shimon bar Yochai, in the Galilee hilltop village of Meron – signaling mounting anticipation of the Redemption itself!

All traditions do agree though, that on the 33rd day of the count of the Omer these disciples of Rabbi Akiva did stop dying. It is interesting that we have a semi-holiday, nbecause somehow the evil decree allowed by heaven to end so many lives, such as it was, would not continue.

I am not consistent about saying “Hineni Muchan U’mezuman” before Sefirat Ha’Omer. Should I decide one way or the other, and which way is better?

Nineteen hundred years ago, the twenty-five thousand pupils of Rebbe Akiva all died in the days of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuot. This was a punishment for not treating each other with enough respect. The majority of the days Omer are in the month of Iyar. Thus Iyar is a time for us to work on improving respect for others.

We are now in the middle of the counting of the Omer, I have always been somewhat perplexed by the general explanation, that this count is meant to represent the longing of the Jewish people and their preparation for the acceptance of the Torah on Mount Sinai after their freedom from the bondage of Egypt.

Is it permitted to listen to music during Sefirat Ha'omer? An elderly person is very lonely due to the social distancing restrictions and music may lift his spirits and help in alleviating some of the loneliness.